Method and apparatus for forming knitted loops in hosiery machines



July 7, 1931. R. GUILLEMOT 1,813,349

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING KNITTED LOOPS IN HOSIERY MACHINES Filed 001:. l, 1926 INVENTOR ROBERT GUILLEMOT 25/ 7225 fii'zlorneys Patented July 7, 1931 UNWED STATES FATENT OFFICE ROBERT GUILLEMOT, OF ST. MAUR DES FOSSES, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT &

WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, OF YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING KNITTED LOOPS IN HOSIERY MACHINES Application filed October 1, 1926, Serial No. 138,892, and in Trance October 1, 1925.

This invention relates to a new method of forming loops for all hosiery machines in which stitches are made by means of movable latch needles, spring needles etc., as for example: flat knitting machines, circular knitting machines, underwear knitting machines, and the like.

This new method of forming loops, while securing a regular knocking over, allows of making on such'machines of given gauge a tighter and finer stitch than that which can be made by using the same yarn numbers on a machine of the very same gauge and type fitted with the old method of forming the loops.

The method of obtaining a tight stitch by means of this new method of forming loops has no relation to the method of obtaining a tight stitch by the known system of determining the position of the stitch cams with respect to the needles or the position of the cylinder needles with respect to the stitch cams.

Specially applied to automatic seamless knitting machines for making hose or halfhose, this new method of formin loops on a machine of given gauge allows, y slackening the stitch, the makin of hose with a very wide welt, and also, by tightening the stitch, the making of a much narrower ankle and foot than those which can be made on the same machine fitted with the known method of forming loops, and this without any cuts or defects in the fabric.

This new method of forming loops is hereafter described as applied on a seamless circular machine of the Scott & -Williams type for making hose'or half-hose, this machine working with latch needles. This new method can likewisebeapplied on the same conditions on similar types of seamless machines or other types working with latch needles or spring needles, etc.

Fig. 1 is an extended elevation of the yarn,

needles and sinkers at the knitting point showing the new method being carried out;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a piece of fabric showing diagrammatically how the loops are equalized;

F" gs. 3 and 4 are slde elevations of the new high and low ledge sinkers respectively;

over ledges.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations of modified forms of the new high and low ledge sinkers respectively;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a low ledge sinker showing a needle tipped radially to equalize the loops.

On machines of a given gauge knitting with yarns of suitable thickness, the tightness and fineness of the stitch are mostly determined by the length of the yarn drawn by the needles, that is to say, determined by the distance between the knocking over edge or ledge of the sinkers (which ledge in the known method of forming loops is on all sinkers at the same height above the needle cylinder), and the hook of the needle when the needle for the knocking over has been put on its lower position.

If, for obtaining a tighter stitch by the old procedure of forming loops, the distance between the ledge of the sinker and the hook of the needle in its lower or knocking over position is reduced beyond a certain limit, the loop previously made knocks over with difficulty and the needles load up, making defects or cuts in the fabric.

For reducing the length of the yarn drawn by the needles and obtaining a tighter and finer stitch, and at the same time-securing a regular knocking over, there are used, in this new method, two kinds of sinkers: a sinker e or 6 with a high ledge z' or i (Fig. 3 or 5) and a sinker h or k with a low ledge 71 or i (Fig. 4 or 6) these two kinds of sinkers sliding as usual in the inside and outside sinker rings. In any one ma chine sinkers e and 71. are used together or e and h are so used as an alternative. These two sets 6, h and e, h,'are difi'erent embodiments of the invention. A set consists, in either case, of a sinker having a high ledge and one having a low ledge and two such sinkers are used side by side. A number of such sets are used in a machine, the high and low ledge sinkers being alternated, as shown in Fig. 1, where e and hrepresent respectively sinkers having high and low knocking- Fig. 1 is intended to show the invention generically without limitation to either the e, h or the e, h type of sinker.

It is found that by forming adjacent needle wales or loops alternately larger and smaller than the desired final loop and then equalizing these alternate loops, the resultant loop formed, which is the mean of the large and small ones initially formed, is smaller than previously has been possible when all loops were drawn of equal size. \Vhat has been referred to'here as the large loop is best defined as being at least as large as can be knocked over when all loops are of the same size. The small loop formed by the needle adjacent to that forming the so-called large loop, is considerably smaller than any heretofore made under the same conditions, and is smaller than the smallest equalized loop possible with this method. It is the cooperation between adjacent large and small loop forming mechanisms and the equalization of the resulting large and small loops that gives a final loop smaller than heretofore known. In the embodiment shown, the lower edge 4) of the upper arm of the sinker is at the same distance above the sinker ring level, or other common level, in sinkers of either type, 6, h or e, h. But the dimension a. between the lower edge 1) and the led e z of the upper arm 8 of the sinker 6 (Fig. 3 is greater than the dimension 0 of the corresponding portion of the upper arm 25 of sinker h (Fig. 4). So also with dimension a and 0 on the modified sinkers e and h of Figs.

5 and 6 respectively.

Viewing Figs. 3 and 4, it is seen that a needle I) in coming into its lower or knocking over position draws a greater length of thread over the ledge z of arm 8 of a sinker 6 than does a needle 71 associated with the arm t on the adjacent sinker h. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the same is true, i. e., that the length of thread drawn over ledge i of arm 8 is greater than that drawn over ledge i of arm t.

The result of this on a series of sinkers of alternate high and low ledge is shown in Figure 1. 4

For example, taking a series of needles numbered from 1 to 12 (Fig. 1), the length of yarn drawn by the needles 6 and 7 partly on the sinker 6 (with high ledge), and partly on the sinker h (with low ledge) is of course shorter than the length of yarn which could be drawn by the same needles if the sinker h with low ledge were replaced by a sinker e with high ledge, as indicated by a dotted line, Fig. 1. q

The loop previously drawn leans on the one side on the high ledge of the high sinker 6, and on the other side on the ledge of the low sinker h, the sides of the loop having different inclinations as shown. It happens,

as shown in Fig. 1, that the long side of this,

loop leaning on the sinkere easily slides over the hook of the needle and that the short side of this loop leaning on the low sinker 71 short stitchtes n, Fig. 2. These long and short loops may be equalized in different ways, all depending upon the same underlying idea. Since the length of a loop is determined by the distance between the point of engagement of the thread with the knocking-over ledge and the point where the needle engages the thread at the knocking-over, it follows that by changing this spacing after knockingover, the length of loop may be changed. After the knocking-over, to efl'ect equalization of the unequal loops initially drawn, any relative movement of the needle and sinker may be availed of provided it brings the thread to such a position on the sinker that the point of engagement of the thread and sinker and the point of engagement of needle and thread have a new spaced relation which is the same for all sinkers. Thethread will accommodate itself to this new spacing, the long loops being. robbed and the short ones lengthened until all loops are of equal length.

One way of equalizing loops is to use a sinker 6 with a high ledge 2' and a slope 0 Fig. 3, and a sinker h with a low ledge 2' and a slope p, Fig. 4, both sinkers e and h having a throat of the same height above the cylinder,

that is, with dimension 00 equal to ,dimension w. The needles-having knocked over the stitches, the sinkers e and h are pushed forward and the needles rise. By this movement, the shorter loops formed on sinker h are obliged to ascend the slope p Fig. 4, whilst the longer loops formed on the sinkers e are obliged to descend the slope 0, Fig. 3. In doing this, the yarn 9 will shift length wise until it accommodates itself on the throats. The depths of the throats being the same, the loops, when on them, will be of the same size.

Another way is to use a sinker 6 with. a

high ledge and a deep throat 3 under its nose,

Fig. 5, and a sinker k with a low ledge and l a less deep throat 1 under its nose, as in Fig. 6. The depth of the throat is the dimension in the, direction of the arrow. After knocking over, the needles are rising to a certain height and the sinkers are moving forward so that the inner end of the throat y engages the thread on sinker h before the inner end of throat y engages the thread on 6'. This causes the thread to shift lengthwise, robbing the long loop on 6' until an equal length lies between each sinker and needle. The yarn then is slack on the shallow throat in the sinker in F ig. 5.

This result can also be obtained by moving the hook ends of the needle radially outward by any well known means. Such amovement is shown in Fig. 7.

According to the nature, elasticity and thickness of the yarns used, and to the slackness or tightness of the fabric, the difference of height between the sinkers with high and low ledges can be made greater or less, likewise the difference in the depths of the throats of the sinkers e and 71. or the pushing away of the needles from the center of the cylinder can be ma de greater, more or less, so that in these latter cases, the-differences of the strain exercised by each of these sinkers of needles on their stitches may be stronger more or less.

What I claim is:

1. A method of forming loops of yarn in knitting machines, adapted to produce a tighter and finer stitch whilst simultaneously securing a regular knocking overof same, the method comprising the steps of forming the loops over edges of different height some of which edges are not high enough by themselves to knock over the stitch so as to form longer stitches upon some edges than upon others, and subsequently equalizing the long and short stitches thus produced.

2. The method of forming stitches which consists in forming, at the knocking-over operation, adjacent loops of unequalsize, the smaller loop -being smaller than, and the larger loop being at least as large as, the smallest loop that can be knocked over when adjacent loops are formed of equal size.

3. The method of forming stitches which consists in forming, at the knocking-over op eration, adjacent loops of unequal size, the

that construction of the sinkers in which the portions, on adjacent sinkers, for engaging the thread at knocking-over, are spaced different extents from the position occupied by the portion of the needle engaging the thread at knocking-over, and the portions of adjacent sinkers for engagin the thread after knocking-over are space a uniform distance from the position occupied by the portion of the needle engaging the thread after knocking-over.

6. A web-holding sinker for a knitting machine having a loop-forming ledge at a higher level than the bottom of the throat, in combination with a cooperating sinker having a loop forming ledge at a lower level than the bottom ofthe. throat, the ledges of the two sinkers being at different heights and tahe flhroats being of the same height and ept In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 7

ROBERT GUILLEMOT.

smaller loop being smaller than, and the larger loop being at least as large as, the smallest loop that can be knocked over when adjacent loops are formed of equal size, and then equalizing these loops after the knocking-over operation.

4. The method of forming stitches which consists in producing, at the knocking-over operation, 'at adj acent stitch forming mecha nisms, difi'erent space relations between the point of engagement of needle and thread and the point of engagement of the thread and the knocking-over ledge, and then causing subsequent relative movement between sinker and needle and utilizing the subsequent relative movement tocause the thread to shift to new positions on the .sinkers such that the said space relations are the same at adjacent stitch forming mechanisms.

5. In a knitting machine having sinkers and needles with means for producing varying relative positions therebetween during the stitch forming operation, and means for guiding a thread into association therewith; 

